An Eleven-Year-Old No More
by lovesbroadway
Summary: The story of the family's escape from Austria and how a certain 11-year-old boy transitions into a grown-up in a matter of minutes.
1. Chapter 1

**It has been years - years - since I've felt compelled to write a new fanfic. Hope my faithful few are still out there - enjoy!**

**NOTE: I do not own The Sound of Music or any characters or story lines affiliated with the classic film.**

He was conscious - definitely conscious - but in a semi-alert state. Yes, he was trying to become more aware of his surroundings in the mountains, but the details were starting to grow hazy. He remembered the moments leading up to when he fell back to the ground with such velocity; they were crystal clear to him. However, trying to regain full consciousness now and responding back to his mother was getting harder. He could see the panic in her eyes and saw her mouthing words at him in a hurried manner and as he looked to the side of his mother he saw the worried expressions on his sisters' faces. All five were frozen beneath one of the trees with horrified looks on their faces. His left shoulder was throbbing from where the bullets had hit him - there had been two of them. He remembered each one hitting him with such impact that the wind was knocked out of him. The first one almost completely knocked him to his feet, but he had been determined to stay standing, stay in his protective stance. The second shot did him in, however. As soon as the second bullet hit him he immediately fell to the ground. Yes, Kurt Von Trapp was lying at his mother's feet bleeding, and he couldn't even gather the strength to cry out in pain.

**_Moments earlier..._**

The Von Trapp family had been hiking through the Alps for just about two weeks or so, seeking refuge under the stars at night when the weather was good, finding shelter in a few abandoned barns and farm houses along the way. On this particular afternoon Captain Georg Von Trapp signaled to his family that since the weather was clear and warm enough they'd be camping out again. Although, with each night spent outdoors, the colder the nights were becoming, and Georg knew that the family would have to make it to Switzerland within the next few days or they wouldn't be able to make it through the nights anymore.

The girls immediately dropped to the comfort of the shade beneath a tall tree and rested once their father gave them the go ahead to stop. Maria took the respite to stretch her back and arms - having carried Gretl the better part of the morning. Georg didn't know where he'd be without his wife - his angel and saving grace. Marie merely smiled at her five daughters huddled at her feet and went to help Kurt gather some sticks and medium sized branches so they could start a fire for later on for warmth. Friedrich went to uncurl everyone's sleeping packs and blankets, while Georg took a short walk around the perimeter of the area they had found, trying to make sure they were all truly alone. He did this to ensure his family's safety, knowing very well that bounty hunters and those searching for deserters lurked in the trees and shadows searching for anyone trying to escape certain parts of Europe as he and his family were currently doing. This was a ritual the family did every time they made a stop for a night or two.

The girls would eventually start to gather some berries and help their brother set up makeshift beds. The nine of them truly had begun to understand what it meant to work together as a single unit in order for them all to stay safe and healthy through the entire ordeal. Afterwards, Friedrich and Georg would gather all the canteens together and set off for water for the entire family. The two had grown fond of this time together and it was especially enjoyable for Friedrich who swelled with pride at the one-on-one time with his father. Georg always joked that Kurt was in charge of Maria and the girls during these short outings since he was the last "Von Trapp man" left with the group, but everyone knew very well that Maria was in charge during his absence. Still, Kurt made sure to scan the perimeter while his father and brother were gone, he took his temporary leadership role quite seriously. He always made sure he stood in his father and brother's absence in the event he could spring to his mother and sisters' safety. Maria always chuckled at this gesture and it warmed her heart at how quickly Kurt was maturing and wanting to be like Georg and Friedrich.

This is how the family found themselves on this particular afternoon - that terrible day when their lives were almost ruined for good. Almost ruined...


	2. Chapter 2

He was in the middle of his first lap around their small camp site. The sun was in between staying out and setting - that perfect golden hour. As Kurt stood directly opposite his mother and sisters, he smiled with pride at how the task of protecting them was up to him. Deep down, he truly knew his mother was in charge if any important or quick decisions needed to be made, but he was the only Von Trapp man at the moment, and nobody could take that feeling away from him for anything.

"How are we looking so far?" Maria playfully teased her son as he approached the group.

"Everything is looking flawless so far, mother. Not to worry, you girls are in good hands." Kurt gave his mother and sisters a toothy grin, prompting more giggles from his sisters and a fake scowl from Maria, jokingly reprimanding all of them.

Marta and Gretl were playing cards with Louisa and Liesl was rebraiding Brigitta's hair while Maria looked on.

"How long have father and Friedrich been gone, mother? I'm starting to get a little hungry and thirsty."

"They should be back any moment, Marta. Not to worry. Why don't you have a few more berries in the meantime, hmmm?"

"Ok, but I really am thirsty," Marta replied sweetly while taking another small handful of berries from the blanket they had gathered.

"I agree. I'm a little parched as well," Kurt said as he craned his neck in the direction his father and brother had gone in not too long ago.

"What, you mean, a big brave and strong man like you gets thirsty, too?" Louisa chided her brother wickedly as she put down a few more cards. Maria outright laughed at her daughter's quick retort, and Kurt looked like he couldn't decide between a frown and a smile and eventually the entire group was giggling again.

In the middle of their giggling, there came the sound of branches cracking from the far side of the campsite, but they were gone in an instant. Less than a minute later the sounds could be heard again as well the rustle of tree branches.

Still in a jovial mood and thinking it was a rabbit or another small animal, Kurt volunteered to go check things out.

"I'll be back ladies - duty calls!" He sarcastically remarked with a wink, causing more giggles, yet again.

As Kurt puffed out his chest and turned in the direction of the noises, his heart sank into his chest. There, standing mere feet in front of him were two men, both visibly branding guns, both looked tired and dirty, and both wearing mean looks on their faces. Kurt was speechless. He knew he joked about protecting his mother and sisters, and was now at a loss for words. Instinctively, Maria stood up from where she was sitting and went to stand near her son. Nobody uttered a word. Maria knew these men weren't friendly right off the bat and decided being her usual, cheerful self was out of the question the moment she noticed their guns. As soon as she reached where Kurt was standing one of the men began talking, although not at any of the Von Trapps.

"I'd say we've hit the jackpot, here Ernst. What do you say?"

The other man didn't say anything, but nodded his head slowly while his eyes were locked on Kurt. He was sizing him up and Kurt was trying his best to do the same.

"Mind if I ask what the seven of you are doing out here in the woods so close to dark?"

The first man spoke again and this time he locked eyes on Maria and his mouth twisted into an evil grin.

"Just about to light a fire as we're camping here for the evening," Maria said, coming to the rescue of her children, motioning to the small fire pit Kurt had created with some stones earlier in the afternoon. "My husband and older son should be back any minute, they're at the stream down a little ways gathering water for all of us." Maria gave no sign of inviting the two men to stay for the fire, nor did she want to come off as threatening to them, giving them an excuse to unholster their guns.

"Husband, eh? I think she's bluffing, Ernst."

"Yeah, sounds about right to me, Peter," the other man spoke finally and the Von Trapps learned the names of both of the men intruding on them: Ernst and Peter.

"Why don't we come to terms with what you're all really do here. We know you're not camping, and furthermore, we know you're on your way over the border into Switzerland. Why else would you be this close - I'd say you're about two days tops from freedom." Ernst sneered as he made a few steps toward Maria and Kurt.

Peter stood where he was and nodded in agreement.

"I'd say Ernst is about right. And by now I'm guessing you all know why we're here, don't you my dear?" Peter gleamed evilly at Maria, which sent shivers down her spine. Still, she stood firm in her explanation.

"As I just told both of you, we're here camping. Nothing more. Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it if you both left us to tending to the site," Maria boldly and bravely said as her courage began to grow.

For a minute it looked like Peter and Ernst were going to let Maria have the last word. They stood their ground, as did Kurt and Maria, but in an instant Peter whipped out his gun and pointed it at the girls while Ernst simultaneously strode forward and grabbed hold of Maria, pulling her towards him. Kurt reacted as quick as he could and tried to pry the man away from his mother, Ernst's gun falling from its holster as he sent Kurt to the ground and dragged Maria back to where Peter was still standing. Ernst, unfazed by losing his weapon, branded a small switchblade from his boot and held it to Maria's throat as he tightened his grip on her.

The girls all cried out in fear and huddled close together as Peter's gun kept steady in their direction. Kurt sat up from being knocked down and wiped his face. His brief collision with Ernst had left him with a small cut on his forehead that was now bleeding. He wiped his hand on his sleeve and stood up, suddenly overcome with an intense combination of utter fear and complete anger.

"This is what's going to happen. We're all going to quietly sit here and wait for your father and brother to get back. We know there's more of ya because I count 9 sleeping bags over there beyond the tree. When your father gets back, then we'll talk. You see Ernst and me are out here hunting deserters like yourselves. And I'm thinking the Nazis would love it if we turned up in the morning with nine of yous in tow." Peter's commanding voice made it known that he was in charge between he and Ernst. The latter of the two still maintained his grip on Maria, who continued to struggle for freedom, but Ernst had too good of a hold on her.

Kurt gave a big gulp and decided he needed to take some action. Maria was being held captive by these men, his father and brother were nowhere in sight, his sisters were being held at gunpoint, that left him in charge. He knew it and all of a sudden a wave of determination and strength overcame him. Immediately his eyes went down to scan the ground for Ernst's gun. He'd only ever really held a gun once when he was younger: he and Friedrich had sneaked into his father's office and found some in one of the cabinets there. Georg had been extremely mad at his boys, but later agreed both should know the ins and outs of using a weapon since they were Von Trapps. So later that day, he had taken them both into the woods beyond the lake and taught them how to clean a gun and the proper stance of firing one. Neither were allowed to actually fire the gun, but both were taught proper usage and aiming techniques. Now, Kurt's throat ran dry thinking he may have to actually discharge the gun on the ground at one of these men.

Peter and Ernst noticed Kurt shifting nervously and Peter turned his attention toward Kurt. He lowered the gun he was pointing at the girls ever so slightly.

"Don't even think about it, boy. I'll shoot all 5 of your sisters before you can even pick up that pistol. Leave it where it lies," Peter practically spat the last sentence out, asserting his dominance.

"You let my mother go and we'll see. I'm not making any guarantees here." Kurt's reply was surprisingly steady and in control. He inched his way a few centimeters closer to the fire pit - an idea forming in his head.

"Kurt! I'm fine, darling. Just listen to what these men are saying, please!"

Maria pleaded with him from mere meters away. She nodded her head back to stress upon her hurried request. The slightest movement from her caused Ernst to tighten his grip on her again.

"Better listen to your mother, kid. If my buddy shoots you nobody will be here to protect her anymore," Ernst snorted back and eyed Maria wickedly.

"Now you both listen 're going to let my mother and my sisters go. Then the three of us can talk," Kurt said as he gently bent down and picked up one of the medium sized stones encircling the fire pit he had made a few hours ago.

Peter and Ernst noted that he now had an object - not really a weapon - but an object nonetheless in his hands that he could use to distract them and mess with their plan. Still, they both had actual weapons and knew they still held the upper hand. What they didn't know, was that Kurt had also been taught how to throw with impeccable aim by Captain Georg Von Trapp.

"What are you going to do with that, kid? Hhmm? It's not like you'll be able to take the both of us out with that. Look around. There are two of us and one of you, and we both have weapons. You try anything foolish and you'll get it."

Kurt glared back at Peter, disregarding his warning. He only rotated the rock in his palm slowly, trying to find the perfect grip on it so he could use it to throw - he hadn't figured out which man he was aiming for yet, but he knew he had to use it within the next few minutes or so, otherwise his family was done for.

For a moment there was silence. Peter moved his arm holding his gun away from the girls and let if hang limply at his side, almost taunting Kurt to throw the rock. Kurt breathed in deeply and then let his entire body relax all at once, giving Peter and Ernst the impression he was going to let go of the rock and listen to them. But then, all at once, Kurt snapped his right arm back and let the rock sail through the air at Ernst. Maria turned her head away just in time as the rock hit Ernst square in his left temple, releasing Maria and his knife all in once motion as he tumbled to the ground and laid their almost lifeless.

Peter reacted and turned his head toward his friend as he fell and noticed Maria was about to run for the girls. He took his gun and with the handle, knocked Maria in her head. She fell to the ground, but was conscious and went to stand up and run to the girls, still, but Peter shouted at her to stay where she was. Now bleeding slightly from the right side of her forehead, Maria complied and looked over to her son, who amidst the scuffle had grabbed Ernst's fallen gun and now had it pointed at Peter, who in turn noticed the same thing and turned to face the eleven-year-old.

"Bad move, boy. You took the wrong one out. Forget that I still have one of these, too?" Peter waved his gun in the air, again, taunting Kurt.

"Don't you dare move. Another foot and I'll press the trigger and you'll end up like your friend over there."

Peter laughed at the absurdity of a young boy harming him, but Kurt wasn't wavering. He had tears forming in his eyes as he was growing more and more nervous having a loaded weapon in his hands, but his stance was firm.

"Kurt listen to him, I'm alright and so are your sisters," came Maria's reply as she came to stand at her feet finally, having gained her strength back.

"Better listen to your mother, kid. I'm not going to be so easy to take down like Ernst was."

"I'll be the judge of that."

Kurt's last remark made Peter do a double take. He knew he overtook the boy in size alone, but the way Kurt spoke last made it apparent he knew how to use a gun. Peter knew he had to turn the tables again, so he switched his gun to his left hand and pointed it right at Maria.

"How's this? Do anything stupid with that and see what happens to your mother."

Tears threatened to fall from Kurt's eyes again as he looked over to his mother. She in turn, had tears falling down her cheeks having a gun pointed directly at her. She put her hands up in surrender and Peter smirked. He glanced at Kurt and made a step toward Maria and then the sounds of a gunshot echoed through the trees. Peter faltered and took a step back, having just sustained a gunshot wound to his upper chest. He looked over at Kurt and saw he was trembling slightly having just fired his gun. Overcome with rage, Peter turned toward the boy and cocked his gun ready to fire back.

The five Von Trapp girls all covered their ears with their hands. Their mother looked on in horror as more shots rang out through the woods. In an instant both Kurt and Peter fell to the ground, both being hit by the other's bullets. Neither moved, and then there was complete silence.

**Thanks for reading the first few chapters. More on the way, I promise! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

For a moment nobody moved - nobody spoke - nobody dared breathe. The five Von Trapp girls sat still huddled all close together. Nobody even had their eyes opened, having shut them tightly when the gunfire started. Nobody that was except for Liesl. She carefully opened hers only to watch her mother get up in a hurry and sprint the short distance over to where her younger brother was now lying motionless on the ground. Maria rushed to Kurt's side and immediately collapsed on the ground next to him. She knew in an instant what her eyes would be seeing when she got there: blood. It was everywhere. Kurt had been shot twice in his left shoulder just below his collar bone.

"Oh damnit! Kurt, darling, open your eyes for me please!"

Normally she wouldn't have cursed in front of any of her children, but she was about to lose control of all of her emotions at any minute.

"Kurt - listen to me. Can you hear me?! It's mother, I need you to answer me!"

Her voice began to crack at her last word and she felt the tears rushing down her cheeks, but she was too preoccupied with ripping open Kurt's jacket to notice. Maria knew she had to pack something on top of Kurt's wounds to stop the bleeding, but she didn't know what. She had no supplies of any kind that would even come close to suffice, and she was in the middle of the woods to top it off! Finally having no other choice, she ripped off her coat, placed it as a pillow under Kurt's head and hurriedly took off her sweater that she was wearing over her turtleneck. As she did this, Kurt's eyes slowly fluttered open and he gave a loud, painful groan. Maria was so overcome with joy at her son's movements that she almost hugged him, but gave a small thankful smile instead.

"Oh thank, God. Kurt, darling, speak to me."

"Mother...girls..." was all he could manage as he took deep breaths, trying to steady his movements.

Maria gently wiped back some of his hair that was now being matted to his forehead as he started to sweat and tried to murmur some words of comfort through her growing tears.

"It's going to be alright. I promise I'm going to take care of you, darling," Maria sobbed.

Up until that point, Maria had only focused on her son lying in front of her and hadn't thought twice about her daughters.

"Girls, you all right?" Her voice obviously laced with worry and concern.

Four frightened faces nodded back at her and Liesl quickly came to her aid.

"What can we do, mother?"

In a mere second Maria felt a little calmer with someone at her side to help.

"I know your father and brother took all the canteens down to get filled, but there must be some water here somewhere I need that please...and look for my pack - I'm sure I threw in a makeshift first aid kit of some kind the night we left the villa."

Liesl didn't hesitate and was off rummaging through the packs. Even Louisa worked up some courage to move from the spot where she had been frozen and helped her older sister search. Maria returned her focus to Kurt and successfully removed his jacket and had started working on the buttons of his shirt to get to his shoulder. In the process, she gently pivoted him on his side to see if there were any exit wounds from being shot and breathed a momentary sigh of relief upon seeing that the bullets were in fact not still lodged in her son; she didn't know what she'd do if she had to perform some kind of emergency removal in the woods. She kept applying pressure with her sweater over Kurt's bare skin to try and stop the bleeding in the meantime.

"Where the hell are Georg and Friedrich with the water?!"

Liesl and Louisa stopped in their tracks hearing their mother swear and noticed she was trembling and sobbing when they looked over at her. They gave each other a quick look and resumed looking through everyone's packs.

"I've got it!" Liesl shouted as she found the first aid kit her mother had in her pack and rushed over to her mother's side.

"Liesl - here's someone's canteen with some water in it," Louisa shouted back as she held up the canteen and then threw it at her sister. Liesl gave her a brief smile and turned her attention back to her mother who motioned for her to open the canteen. Liesl did as she was asked and very gingerly poured some water over her brother's wounds.

"Careful not to use it all. We don't know when your father and brother will be back and this needs to last us."

Liesl nodded at her mother's remarks and stopped pouring, and then having an idea, propped her brother up a bit and poured some water into his mouth, hoping that would help.

Kurt responded and sipped the water trickling down his throat and opened his eyes to meet his mother and oldest sister's gazes. Liesl took this as a good sign and poured some more into his mouth, which he happily took. She then moved to sit by his head and cradled it for support while Maria quickly rummaged through the first aid kit. Finally, she revealed a small vial and gave it a shake, and upon hearing a rattle come from within it, Maria smiled to herself. She also produced a decent stack of bandages and some gauze. After being the governess and dealing with cuts, scrapes, and wounds all summer, Maria knew she'd have to be prepared hiking with 7 children across the Alps.

With all the urgency she possessed, Maria shook several of the pills from the vial onto her hand and then force fed them to her half-alert son. Liesl realized what was happening and then made her brother take a swig from the canteen again.

"What was that you just gave him?" she asked her mother a little wary, but knowing Maria would never cause any of her children harm.

Without even looking up from her task of cleaning Kurt's wound, Maria responded:

"Some aspirin. Normally you should only take one or two, but in this case I think giving your brother four or five of them will at least help with the pain after his adrenaline wears off. It's nothing too strong, but it's all we have to work with right now."

Liesl simply nodded again. How was it possible her mother was able to focus on so many tasks at once and still be doing the right thing? She admired her courage because Liesl knew if she had to be in control at that very moment she wouldn't have been as composed. Yes, Maria was still shaking and her cheeks were still wet from sobbing, but she was doing her best to keep everything together. Amidst noting her own admiration of her mother, Liesl suddenly noticed the wound on Maria's head from where she had been struck. It, too, was bleeding, although it was just a small wound. Her mother didn't appear bothered by it as she focused on Kurt, so Liesl didn't mention it, thinking it would only cause more panic and detract attention from tending to her brother.

By now the sweater Maria had been using to stop the bleeding had been transformed into a dark crimson color and her hands were stained as well.

"Liesl, more water," she commanded, and her daughter obeyed.

Kurt screamed out in pain; his adrenaline starting to subside and suddenly becoming fully aware of what was happening. He writhed in pain on the ground and cried out once more.

Liesl didn't know what to do other than hold the canteen in her hands. Maria, on the other hand, used her left hand to try and steady her son while her right hand kept her sweater on his chest.

"I don't know what to do...he's losing so much blood and I can't control it," Maria desperately cried out.

She looked to her daughter kneeling before her who could only offer a sad expression back at her mother, not knowing any other way to help either.

"Kurt...Kurt - Kurt you look at me this instant!"

In between gritting his teeth and crying out in pain Kurt looked at his mother and took several deep breaths and focused on her face.

"You have to be strong and stay with me. Liesl and I are here and we're going to help you I promise, understand?" Her tone was once again commanding and authoritative.

Kurt slowly nodded back, trying to form a response, but Maria hushed him.

"Don't talk, save your energy, but please hang on my darling," Maria's left hand lingered on her son's face as fresh tears fell. Kurt's eyes looked as they were starting to glaze over and it was apparent he was losing his ability to focus.

"Mother, what do we do?" Liesl begged her mother for help and before Maria could reply, they heard the sound of twigs snapping getting closer. Maria's head whipped up, fearing the worst that it would be more bounty hunters or deserter hunters, but when the two figures finally made their way into the clearing, it was Georg and Friedrich. The two were smiling and joking with each other, but their expressions quickly changed when they saw their family.

"Georg, help!"

Georg sprinted to his wife and collapsed beside her, not even noticing the two still figures lying on the ground behind him.

"What the hell happened?!" Georg looked from Maria to Liesl and then over to the other girls.

"Are you four all right over there?" He shouted, as he threw off the load of canteens from his shoulder and went to help his wife and daughter.

Friedrich ran over to his younger sisters and did his best to comfort them, not knowing what else to do.

Georg worked in his motions with his wife, together the two working their best to save their son's life. He immediately threw off his jacket and removed his shirt and undershirt and switched out Maria's sweater for his button-down to apply pressure over the wounds.

"Is someone going to explain what happened or not?!"

"Those men came and said they were here to bring us back to Austria because we were deserters. One of them grabbed mother and then Kurt tried to help and then he hit one of them with a rock in the head and shot the other one to save mother, but he shot Kurt back, too!" Liesl's rambled response made Georg snap his head up and look back, finally noticing the two figures behind him. He looked over at the group of the others.

"Friedrich - go check to see if those two men are alive. Take any weapons you see they have on them. Go!"

Friedrich jumped to action and did as his father said.

Georg and Maria's hands were joined together applying pressure on their son, Liesl doing her best to use the water to clean the wound; she nearly went through all the canteens. They couldn't remember how long they stayed like that, but when Georg concluded that the bleeding had stopped enough to bandage up Kurt, they removed their soaked garments and went to mend him. Maria grabbed almost the entire stack of bandages and Georg grabbed the gauze. Again, together they worked seamlessly to apply the bandages and wrap his shoulder.

"Liesl, lift him up very slowly and gingerly so we can finish, please," Georg's command was gentle, but firm, exhaustion overcoming him suddenly.

Liesl did as she was told and watched with tears in her eyes as her parents fixed the bandages on her brother. When they were done, Georg picked up his youngest son and laid him down away from the spot where they were working. He used his own pack to support Kurt's head as a pillow and covered his son up with his jacket and Maria's jacket. Standing there over his son with blood-stained hands, Georg looked from his daughters, to Friedrich, to Kurt, and finally back over to where Maria and Liesl were still kneeling. His family was in a shambles and he was at a loss for words.

Sensing his apprehension of what to do next, Maria stood up and walked over to join him.

"I'm so sorry, Georg...I...I don't know what else to say." Her voice trailed off and the other four Von Trapp girls came rushing to their parents' side, crushing them with hugs. Georg and Maria were careful to not touch the girls with their hands as they were still covered in red.

Georg walked away from the group for a moment and went to help Friedrich tend to the two men lying motionless on the ground. When they came back, Liesl noticed that it was getting darker out by the second, although, not fully dusk yet.

"Father, you and mother should go wash off your hands before it's nightfall. Friedrich and I will watch over everyone else." Her brother straightened at the task and nodded back. Of course Georg and Maria were nervous about leaving their children along after what had just happened, but knew their daughter was right: they needed to wash off their hands and the memory of it all. Georg nodded back at his oldest and then turned to Friedrich.

"Did you find anything on those men?"

"Yes, father. Two guns and a knife."

"Good. Use those on anyone who comes through this clearing that isn't your mother and I is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." Friedrich responded as strongly as he could, suddenly aware of what his father had just told him to do.

Before he and Maria left for the small stream he had found with his son, Georg started a fire in the pit Kurt had made and told his daughters to all huddle together for warmth. He told Liesl to watch Kurt and make sure that he was comfortable. As he did this, Maria had Brigitta find her pack and her husband's to provide them each with clean shirts - 1 of the few extras they had each brought in their packs. Georg grabbed the now empty canteens and went to go stand by his wife. Then, with their blood-free clothes, Georg and Maria made their way for the stream, both looking over their shoulders as they went, promising they'd be back as soon as humanly possible.

**Sorry for the delay in updates, but my muse had difficulty bridging the transition from the first two chapters to this one. Luckily, I'm back on track and hope to update more frequently now that my inspiration has struck again! Thank you all for reading and reviewing!**


	4. Chapter 4

The short walk to the stream was a silent one. Georg had his and his wife's clean garments draped over his shoulder as to avoid dirtying them with their hands. Maria held her bloodied hands and arms clasped in front of her ruined shirt, looking down at the ground the entire time. It could be said that she was experiencing a sort of shock after fully registering what had just happened to her son. Georg stole glances over at his wife every other step just to make sure she was all right, but the duo never made eye contact once during their quick trek.

When they arrived at the stream, Georg placed the clean shirts on a nearby rock and followed Maria to the water where they both soaked themselves until there was no more red except for the remains washing down stream. Georg splashed some cool water onto his bare chest and stomach until he was satisfied he was fully clean. Maria quickly removed her soiled shirt and doused it into the water, vying for it to return to its original color. When she realized that was a futile task, she used a clean, wet portion of it to cleanse her salted face from her tears. Just when she thought she had cried all she could, Maria suddenly couldn't tell if her cheeks were wet from the stream water or from fresh tears falling onto her cheeks. She began to lightly shake from her quiet sobs, doing her best to mask her emotions from her husband who had his back to Maria as he put on his clean undershirt and fresh shirt. Maria cleaned her face off once more and began to mimic her husband's actions and traded her wet shirt for her fresh one.

Just as she fastened her last button, Maria absent-mindedly went to scratch her head and remembered her own wound. Not wanting to draw any more attention to herself, she went back to the stream and dipped her dirty shirt into the water and finally cleaned off her head. The bleeding had subsided, but there was a sizable cut and welt, but Maria didn't mind too much as she cleaned it as best as she could.

As they finished changing Georg moved to walk back in the direction of their children wanting to get back to them as quickly as possible, but Maria was frozen in her spot looking out over the water. She slowly descended onto a flat rock and brought her knees to her chest and hugged them fiercely. Georg's heart went out to her. He knew her head must have been swimming with new emotions that frightened her after seeing their son in such a state. Not to discount his own feelings of shock, but he was no stranger to seeing someone in such pain from his days in the navy. Not wanting to disturb her, he silently slid down and sat next to his wife and cautiously looked over at her; she wore a stoic expression and was blankly staring out in front of them.

After what seemed like an eternity, Maria finally spoke.

"I don't know what to say, Georg. I mean - I know what I'm feeling, but I can't get it out. I just can't. My mind isn't cooperating with me and all I want to do is scream at the top of my lungs."

She turned to look at her husband, her cheeks stained yet again.

"How was I to stop all of this? It shouldn't have been him, he's only a boy. He tries to be so much more, but he's only eleven. If anyone had been victim to that horrible fate it should have been me."

Georg moved to respond, but Maria cut him off.

"I was the adult. I was the parent. It shouldn't have been our child that this happened to."

She shook her head at her own words.

"I'm so sorry, I'll never forgive myself if he doesn't make it through the night."

And Maria buried her face in her hands. Georg brought his wife into his embrace and held her tightly. Together they sat and cried in unison, both needing to release their fears in front of each other. Maria only felt his body shaking, and didn't realize he was crying too until she felt wetness on the back of her neck. She moved out of Georg's arms and looked at him seriously.

"You have no reason to apologize, Maria," was his kind response. "If anyone is at fault here it's me. I left you all in harm's way and therefore I'm the one who needs to be feeling the way you are right now. God forbid anything had happened to you, too. I'd never be able to live with myself."

Georg now took his wife's face in his own hands.

"You did everything right. From holding him, to talking him through it, to putting pressure on where he had been shot. Nobody could have done a better job," Georg said through fresh tears.

Maria was at a loss for words. She had never seen her husband in quite a vulnerable state. During their honeymoon they both had shared and exchanged feelings, past emotions, and thoughts of the future, but she had never witnessed the great Captain Georg Von Trapp crying; that was something she thought would never happen during their marriage.

"If that's so, then why do I feel this way? Why can't I think of nothing else but blaming myself?"

"Because you're his mother and you care deeply for him. Those men had no place being there and you reacted as any loving mother would have."

Georg rested his forehead against Maria's and sighed deeply.

"Oh Georg...I was so frightened. I tried my damnedest to stand my ground when they appeared out of the woods, but then they brought out their guns and all of my gumption was gone."

Maria looked up and held her husband's hands tightly.

"What are we to do if -"

"Maria I beg of you not to finish that sentence," now it was Georg's turn to cut off his wife. "Kurt may be young, but he is very strong and he'll fight through this. We need to remain calm for the sake of the other children and for Kurt."

Georg looked deeply into his wife's eyes.

"Say it with me, Maria. Kurt will be fine, he's going to make it. Say it, please I beg of you. After all your hard work, now isn't the time to start second guessing yourself."

"Kurt will be fine, he's going to make it." Maria repeated the new mantra back to her husband and their grip on each other's hands tightened.

Georg pulled Maria to him and for a few moments they just sat there holding each other and reveling in the fact that they were together and safe. For that moment, they were untouchable and nobody could try to harm them.

"We need to get back. I don't want to worry the children any more, especially the girls. I can only imagine how they're feeling now having witnessed everything secondhand."

Maria simply nodded back at Georg and they stood up and walked back to their campsite hand-in-hand. When they arrived back at the clearing they were happy to notice that Friedrich had held his word and watched over his brother and sisters and had gotten the fire roaring. The girls were all huddled beneath their coats and blankets in a formation around Kurt who was sleeping peacefully on the ground near the fire for warmth. Maria and Georg were happy to find him resting and breathing on his own. Liesl sat next to her younger brother, smoothing his hair every so often while her sisters fought sleep all around her. Her parents could see that she, too, was fighting the urge to fall fast asleep. Even Friedrich looked exhausted as he stood, making small laps around his sisters.

When Maria and Georg got closer Liesl moved to stand up and greet them, but Georg held his finger to his mouth, signaling her to remain quiet as to not wake her brother and sisters. He crouched down in front of her while Maria went over to make her presence known to Friedrich.

"How is he?"

"He's definitely fighting, father. Every so often he takes a deep, deep breath and sort of moans, but he hasn't woken up since you both left," Liesl said as she glanced back down at Kurt.

Georg held his hand to his son's forehead and noticed that he still had a fever. He knew that fever needed to break before dawn if there was any chance Kurt was going to make it. He took his other hand and gently placed it on his oldest's cheek.

"Your mother and I have it from here. Why don't you join your sisters and get some sleep. Thank you for all you've done. We couldn't have made it this far without you." Georg let his hand linger on his daughter's face an extra moment, savoring the contact and giving her a subtle cue that he loved her. Liesl stifled a yawn and nodded back at her father and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

"I love you too, papa," was her soft reply and then she moved and went to curl up by the fire near her sisters. Even through the glow of the flames in the dark, she could see Georg's eyes glisten with happy tears at the mention of him being referred to as "papa" like she had done when she was a little girl.

Meanwhile on the other side of the fire, mother and son stood alert looking into the woods away from the family. Maria had her left arm across Friedrich's shoulders drawing him into her enough to show him she was there for comfort, but not so much to make him think she was being too over-protective of him. They stood that way, not speaking, both knowing that they were safe, but still unsure if others lurked in the darkness.

"It's been quiet since you both left. Nothing's happened," Friedrich said, needing something to be said aloud to bridge the awkward silence.

"Good," was Maria's reply. She still held onto her son and breathed deeply, turning toward where the rest of the family was. She noted that Liesl had gone to bed and made a mental note to make sure to kiss her daughter good night in thanks before she, too, called it a night.

"We brought those men a ways down into the woods beyond that little valley we crossed earlier today. Father and I."

Maria turned her attention back to Friedrich, his words sinking in.

"Were they...were they dead, Friedrich?"

"No. The man who shot Kurt was in pretty bad shape, but Father hastily cleaned him up as best as he could. The other one had a pretty bad gash on his head from the rock Liesl said that had been thrown at him, but they were both alive when we left them."

"And?"

Friedrich looked at his mother who was waiting on baited breath to see what he and his father had actually done to the men who had almost ruined their family.

"Well, after checking to make sure they were both breathing, father walked away from the valley a bit and said he found their camp. He said they must have been tracking us for some time because it looked like they went down the same path we had come this way."

Maria closed her eyes and cursed inwardly realizing how much her family had been in danger before they even realized it. When she had calmed down after a minute or so she reopened her eyes and urged her son to continue.

"He came back from their camp with some rope and some water. Together we tied them to a few trees and left them with their canteens and came back here."

"Well what if they get out?! What if they come here for us in the middle of the night?!"

"Father said that wouldn't happen. He said we tied them up well enough that they couldn't get out and if they even did it would be at least a few days after we had moved on from here...we are moving on toward Switzerland tomorrow, aren't we, mother?"

"It all depends on how your brother is come sun-up, Friedrich. I do hope he makes it through the night. He fought so hard the entire time..."

Maria's voice trailed off and she and Friedrich looked over at where the rest of the family laid and together walked back. This time, Friedrich leaned into his mother's embrace and allowed her to tighten her hold on him. Regardless of how old he tried to act, after what everyone had been through that day he was fine with acting like the fourteen-year-old he truly was.

Friedrich bid his mother good night, when over to check on his brother and father, and then curled up under his own blanket and pack next to his sisters. Maria made her way around to each of her daughters and tightened the blankets around them and gave them an extra kiss or five a piece. When she got to Liesl, the two talked for a few minutes and shared a few more tears and then embraced tightly before Liesl succumbed to her tiredness. Maria then walked the short distance to where her husband sat crouched down with their son and noticed the circles under Georg's eyes.

"You need your rest, captain. I'll take the first watch."

"Absolutely out of the question. If you think I'm going to idly sit by AGAIN," Georg almost barked the last word, emotions suddenly flooding all through him, but Maria calmed him down simply by placing her hand over his.

"I only meant that you need your rest more than I do and at this moment I can't think of going to sleep after today. The minute I start to get weary I promise I'll wake you up. You said so yourself moments ago that my actions today mimicked my feelings for this courageous boy, do you honestly think I'd start throwing in the towel now?"

Georg gave his wife a sheepish look and shook his head no.

"You come and wake me up the minute you start to feel tired, understood?"

"Yes, sir," came Maria's reply with her adorable mock salute that she had delivered the very first day she met her husband.

Georg had to smile lightly at the memory and he brought their foreheads to rest together once more. Carefully running his hand over Maria's welt on her head and gave her a gentle kiss on the spot where she had been hit. Then, finally he sealed their good night departure with a passionate kiss on the lips and finally slid down to the ground next to his wife and let sleep finally overcome him.

The only one left awake, Maria sat with her back to the tree near the family as she slowly ran her hand back and forth over Kurt's forehead. She leaned forward and gently kissed him on each of his cheeks, noting that he still had a fever.

"Pleasant dreams, my schatz, I love you. I'm so proud of you...this family needs you."

And then she waited for sunrise to come.

**The next chapter is key for dear Kurt's survival. As always, thank you in advance for the kind reviews and for taking the time to read this creation of mine. Until then I remain your humble author. ~_ lovesbroadway_**


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt awoke with a start. He propelled himself up to a siting position gasping for breath and clutching the left side of his upper body. Upon blinking his eyes furiously a few times, Kurt realized it was well past midnight and saw his family all sleeping around him; a dim fire lay in the pit he had made hours ago. Not wanting to wake any of them up, he bit down on his lips till he drew blood for fear of screaming out in pain. His body gave a few involuntary shudders as he tried to calm his breathing and will away the searing feeling shooting up and down his entire left arm. He jumped and gasped again when he felt a light touch on his right shoulder.

"Kurt?" was his mother's timid response.

Upon seeing her faint outline in the dim light, Kurt quickly scooted over to his mother who in turn wrapped him in a protective, yet cautious hug. He momentarily uttered an awkward cry of pain at the contact, but urged his mother to ignore it as he let her envelop him in her embrace. Together, the duo sat there reveling in each other's contact and closeness.

"I was so frightened you weren't going to wake up...oh my darling you have no idea how happy I am to see you up and about like this."

Kurt tightened his grip on his mother upon hearing this.

"I'm in so much pain, mother. All I want to do is scream it's so bad - please make it go away...please," he almost begged in response.

"Oh, Kurt, if I could I'd take all your pain away and put it upon myself in an instant."

She moved to take his face in her hands.

"You were braver than anyone could have been today. You saved us all from what could have been a very cruel fate."

Their eyes locked on each other's; Kurt hanging on his mother's every word.

"I'm so thankful to have you for a son."

Kurt swelled with pride, but also couldn't mask his apparent discomfort.

"Do we have anything? Anything for the pain?" He muttered back, hunching over, still clutching his wounds.

"Mmhmm. Hang tight - I have to grab it from my bag."

Kurt watched his mother gracefully stand to her feet and walk over near his father and came back with what looked like a small bottle. Very gingerly, she shook out a few more pills and placed them in her son's free hand. Kurt gladly accepted them and didn't even wait for her to fetch a canteen and dry-swallowed the aspirin tablets.

"Thank you," he breathed heavily.

Maria smiled at him in response and then was at her feet again. She went over to the fire pit and thew on a few more small sized logs that lay next to it in a pile. She figured that as long as she had some company for the time being she'd add a little warmth. Then, she walked back to where Kurt was and sat down near him again. Her face was full of worry at the state of her son. He had laid back down and was gazing into the fire with a glazed over look he had earlier right after he had been shot. She placed her hands on his forehead and cheeks and noticed that his fever was still present, but not as prominent as earlier right after he had fallen asleep.

Kurt startled her as he began to shiver and shake again, so Maria removed her heavy overcoat and placed it on her son for added warmth. When he moved to protest Maria gently forced him to lie back down where he had just been and tried to soothe him best as she could. They sat that way for a while - neither speaking - Maria occasionally offering her hand to her son when he needed it when the pain got too bad to handle. He'd squeeze her hand for a few moments and then release it after the worst of the pain would subside.

"I'm afraid to go back to sleep now that I'm awake. What if I don't wake up?"

"Don't you dare think like that. You'll be fine...we're all going to be fine," Maria responded, although she wasn't sure if it was more to calm her son or to soothe her own fears. She felt new tears beginning to form in the back of her eyes and she furiously wiped her eyes. She'd be damned if she was going to start sobbing again. She had to be strong for Kurt, for Georg, and for the other children who were counting on her.

"Will you talk to me then for the time being, mother? Maybe if I hear your voice I'll be able to go back to sleep...it hurts so badly. I'm sorry - it won't stop hurting."

Maria closed her eyes and rested her cheek on the top of Kurt's head as he reached for her hand again. This time Maria almost cried out in pain at the weight of her son's grip. He took another sharp breath and let her hand go.

There was quiet all around them. Nothing could be heard but the faint sounds of owls in the distance. Finally, Kurt broke the silence.

"Have you ever fired a gun, mother?"

Maria didn't move, but merely opened her eyes, now staring straight at the fire.

"Once...a very long time ago."

"When? Why?"

Maria swallowed hard and half-smiled, half-frowned at the memory forming.

"I was about Marta's age. My father had been going on to my mother and I on our farm about a wolf that was prowling near our sheep. One night he told us that he was going to sleep outside with his rifle in case the wolf came around because he had come close to stealing some of the sheep. Of course I begged him to let me stay up with him and after hours of convincing and pleading with my parents they allowed me to.

"We went the entire night huddled against the back of the barn, our eyes on the flock the entire time. We finally fell asleep together and in the middle of the night I woke with a start and thought I heard something coming from the far side of the little hill where the flock was settled. Not wanting to wake my father and prove to him that I could help out, I slowly took the rifle out of his limp grasp and tip-toed my way to where I heard the noise. I aimed it at where I thought the wolf might be, braced myself, pulled back the trigger and let the rifle fire. The impact of the rifle discharging knocked me clean off my feet and of course woke the entire flock and made my father come running. Just as he was about to scold me we spotted the wolf, he took the rifle, fired near the wolf causing him to run off...that was the only time."

Kurt smiled at his mother's story.

"I like your story about your first time firing a gun better than mine."

"If I could make your story as light-hearted as mine was, I'd trade it in an instant."

"Mother."

"Yes, darling?"

"Thank you...thank you for saving me."

Again, Maria closed her eyes tightly. This time out of sheer love for her son.

"Same goes for me."

Together they fell asleep, just an hour or so before dawn hit.

* * *

Georg Von Trapp awoke with the sun as he had done every morning of his life since joining the navy. His internal clock would never be reset from his time in the service. His first instinct was to look for his wife and scold her for letting him sleep through the night, thus, lying to him that she would wake him to change shifts. As he turned into the direction of where he had last seen his wife, his heart stopped. She was sleeping hunched over Kurt and for a moment and he couldn't tell if his son was sleeping or dead. Very quietly Georg navigated his way through his oldest son and daughters to his youngest son and wife. When he got to the spot where they were lying together, Maria's head shot up upon hearing someone approaching. Seeing that it was her husband, her hand clutched at her heart and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"You were supposed to wake me up."

"I'm sorry. I didn't have the heart to, and I had some company after Kurt woke up for a while not too long ago."

"He woke up?! Did he talk? How is he feeling?" Suddenly Georg was alert and 100% attentive. He crouched down, gave his wife a gentle kiss on the lips and scooted next to her to examine their son.

"Yes, he spoke. Poor thing is in terrible pain, Georg. We need to get to Switzerland soon so he can see a doctor with some real medication. I can't keep feeding him aspirin hoping for the best."

Georg nodded sadly back at his wife.

"Well, his fever is still there, he could be cooler than this, but still he's not as hot as last night...his bandages need to be changed again..."

When he looked up again at his wife he noticed that the other children had woken up hearing their parents talk. None of them dared move from where they were, but slowly started to creep up from the blankets and packs. Georg tried to calm them and gave them a soft smile.

"How is he, father?"

"I'm not sure yet, Louisa. Your mother said he woke up in the middle of the night and was in a lot of pain."

"Is Kurt going to be ok, father?"

"Oh Gretl I hope so."

"Are we still going to Switzerland today?"

"That all depends on how Kurt is, right?" Friedrich looked from his youngest sister to his parents.

Both Maria and Georg looked at Friedrich with hopeful faces, then looked at each other. The other children mimicked their parents' faces and all eight of them stared intently at the youngest Von Trapp male, willing him to open his eyes and rejoin them.

**More updates coming soon! Thanks for reading as always! ~ lovesbroadway**


	6. Chapter 6

As if the rest of his family was willing for him to wake up, Kurt slowly blinked his eyes, feeling the stares of his entire family trying to casually look in his direction. When he opened his eyes all the way he immediately noticed his parents standing over him to his right, both talking silently, his father had his arms around his mother. Kurt changed his glance to look to his left only to find nobody there. When he barely lifted his head up he saw his siblings all sitting huddled together munching on some food, occasionally looking his way. It was his brother who first noticed that he was awake. Not wanting to draw any attention to himself, Friedrich carefully crept away from his sisters and made his way to his younger brother who had laid his head back down and was now fully alert and awake, but had his eyes closed, trying to will away the pain that was suddenly shooting up and down his entire left side once again.

He sat there for a few minutes before he spoke, hugging his knees tightly to his chest.

"How are you feeling?" Friedrich cursed at his question, already knowing the answer. He felt childish and foolish for asking that.

"A little thirsty...do we have any more water?"

"Uh-huh," and Friedrich was at his feet again, retrieved his own canteen and went back to his brother. His movements didn't go unnoticed by his parents who broke apart gently and realized what he was doing.

"Here you go, Kurt."

Kurt slowly sat up and took the canteen from his brother. He let the cool liquid cascade down his throat and when he had satisfied his thirst he put the canteen down. When he opened his eyes again and went to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand he noticed that all eyes were on him. Kurt looked to his sisters who didn't move at all and then up at his parents. Georg knelt down to be at his son's level and Kurt thought for a moment that his father was going to cry. He had only seen him with that look at his face once before in his entire life: the day he and his siblings were brought into say goodbye to their birth mother for the last time before she died.

Georg brought his hands to Kurt's forehead and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt coolness; his fever had broken. Very carefully, he gave his son a light hug and offered a silent prayer. Kurt couldn't do anything but welcome his father's hug and smile at the gesture. Seeing Friedrich still sitting beside him, Kurt pulled his older brother into the embrace and together all three of the Von Trapp men hugged as one.

Maria stood by with her face in her hands, smiling broadly, knowing that her son had made it through the night.

Georg pulled back from his sons and just started at them fondly for a minute. He reached out and grabbed hold of their hands and his sons affectionately looked back at their father. After a minute Georg spoke.

"We're going to need to change out your bandages before everyone starts to get emotional. That ok if we go ahead and do that?" Georg looked at his son again.

Kurt paused for a moment and looked over at his sisters, suddenly aware that they would all be seeing his wounds in a matter of moments, but then looked back at his father. He leaned forward and whispered into his ear.

"I know the girls all saw yesterday and I don't want to upset them. Would it be ok if they didn't look?" He pulled back and looked at his father with a sad, pleading look.

Georg nodded his response back and looked up at his wife, who crouched down to be at their level.

"Kurt has requested that his sisters not look on while I change his bandages."

Maria gave her husband and then her son a questioning look. This time it was Georg's turn to do some whispering.

"He doesn't want to upset the girls...and I think he may be a little embarrassed after giving everyone such a scare yesterday. He doesn't want to do that again," was Georg's meek reply.

Maria sadly smiled at her son, knowing his intentions to be good, but wishing he didn't feel so self-conscious. She nodded back at the three of them and stood to go toward her daughters.

"Come on girls, your father and Friedrich are going to change out Kurt's bandages. Why don't we go for a quick walk to the stream and fill up the canteens and when we get back they'll be all done."

"So does that mean Kurt's better and we're going to start walking again, mother?"

Maria brushed some hair off Marta's forehead and looked over at her husband who nodded back at her.

"Yes, Marta. As long as Kurt is feeling up to it we're going to be starting up again."

Marta smiled at her mother and then tried to give her big brother a reassuring glance. Her sisters offered the same gesture as they ducked behind the bushes toward the stream out of sight. Only after he was sure they were gone and out of hearing range did Kurt finally let out his true emotions. He cried out in pain and leaned back into his father.

"We'll try to be quick, Kurt. But you need these bandages changed so you don't get sick - your wounds can't get infected and we have to make these bandages last till we get to Switzerland where we can get you to a proper doctor. How's that sound?"

Kurt gave a few sharp huffs of breath before responding. The entire time he had instinctively reached out and grabbed his brother's hand as he had done with Maria's the night before. Friedrich didn't mind. In fact, he welcomed the task, knowing he was helping his father.

"Alright, father. Just please hurry."

Friedrich carefully released his brother's hand and laid him back down on the grass and pushed back his stained shirt and coat. When he got to the skin, Georg interjected and started to gracefully remove the red bandages. When they were completely gone he and Friedrich couldn't help but stare at the reddish-purple wounds on Kurt's chest.

"Well...is it better or worse than you thought it would be?" Kurt asked as he stared up into the trees.

Nobody spoke for a few minutes.

"From what your mother told me yesterday and what I saw before we all went to sleep, they do look better, but we won't know till we get you to that doctor." Georg went straight to work, Friedrich falling into a quick rhythm next to his father handing him bandages and occasionally sprinkling some water onto his brother. After several minutes Georg helped Kurt back to a sitting position and he and Friedrich helped him change into a new shirt and sweater.

"Try to move your arm a little bit...careful, just very slowly."

Kurt did so, but had to scream out in pain again. Looking around at the pile of blankets and packs around them, Georg spotted his own and quickly retrieved his last spare undershirt from his own bag. He brought it back before his sons and expertly ripped it in half and in one swift motion, looped it around Kurt and tied it into a makeshift sling.

"Better?"

Kurt breathed out and looked at his father, very thankful for the temporary release of pain now that his arm was in a comfortable stationary position.

"Thank you. Both of you." He looked from his father and brother and expressed his thanks.

Friedrich lightly clapped his brother on his back and the two looked at their father.

"What now?"

"As long as your brother is up to it, we'll start walking again once your mother and sisters are back." Georg turned to Kurt again. "What do you say, are you up to it?"

"Yes, I don't want to hold any of you back. I can do it."

"The minute you start to feel weak or need to rest, you tell me, your mother, or your brother. Is that clear?"

Georg stared back at his youngest son seriously, knowing that Kurt would do all that he could to not show any signs of weakness. A trait he knew that he had passed down to him, and also something he knew Kurt and the others had picked up from Maria in the short time they all had known each other.

"Yes, father. I promise."

"Good. Friedrich, let's get this area cleaned up."

Kurt moved to stand and join his father and brother, but was gently pushed back to the ground by Friedrich.

"What do you think you're doing, lame duck? You're not to lift a finger," was his older brother's teasing remark. He winked at his little brother and went to go help his father roll up their packs just in time to see Maria and the girls come around the corner holding their full canteens. All five of the girls immediately rushed to their brother's side, noticing that he was awake and sitting up on his own. Brigitta was the first one to get to him. She wanted so badly to hug him fiercely, but knowing that would only bring him more pain she rested her forehead against his and gave him a kiss on his head. Gretl and Marta practically pushed their older sister out of the way and mimicked her actions, wanting their older brother to know they were there for him, too, despite their ages. Lastly, Louisa and Liesl knelt down in front of Kurt.

"You look awful." Louisa teased. She studied her brother for a minute and then together they shared a chuckle.

Liesl was the only one who was brave enough to envelop her brother into an actual hug and had it been any of the others Kurt would have cried out in pain and tried to push them away, but Kurt knew that Liesl had been by his side the entire time the day before and leaned into her.

"Thank you...you helped save me," he softly told her as she let go of him.

Liesl took her brother's face in her hands.

"Don't you dare ever scare me like that again Kurt Von Trapp, do you understand me?"

It was remark that was half-serious, half-joke, but Kurt knew Liesl meant business as he saw tears starting to form in her eyes. Not wanting to lose face in front of his sisters, Kurt sniffled and held back his tears and meekly nodded back at his oldest sister.

"Good," Liesl said and brushed the tears out of her eyes as she gathered her sisters and they all stood together. Seeing them all stand up and noticing that his father and brother were done packing up, Kurt slowly got to his feet. Not having anything to eat the past day or so and the amount of blood that he had lost, made him feel a little light-headed, so he had to close his eyes and remain still for a second to steady himself. When he opened his eyes he realized that his mother had come over and was helping him remain standing and steady. He gave her a wary look.

"It's ok, they didn't see that."

He smiled at her and accepted another set of kisses on the top of his head as she ran her hands across his forehead.

"Father already did that. He says my fever's gone."

"And I'm sure he's as thankful as I am for that. Come on, it's time to get going if you're ready."

Kurt looked around at the small clearing. For such a little amount of time the family had spent there, an awful lot happened that altered the course of the lives of everyone in the family. When he was done taking it all in he returned his gaze back to his mother, who was waiting on baited breath.

"I'm ready. Just keep an eye on me, will you?"

"Of course, come on."

Together they joined the rest of their family. Georg silently took inventory of his family, making sure they were all there and had their packs. His gaze rested on Friedrich for a moment longer than the others, giving him a grateful expression since his oldest son was carrying two packs now.

"All right everyone, from what your mother and I have surmised, we should be in Switzerland in time for bed. Just think, sleeping inside tonight. Kurt has assured me that he will let us know if we need to slow down for him, but other than that we're going to try to make it today. Everyone ready to go?"

Eight faces nodded back at him and he reached down and grabbed hold of Gretl and effortlessly positioned her on his back. The girls all partnered up and Maria took hold of Marta's hand, with the boys in front of her. All at once the family moved out of the clearing as a unit just as the sun was about to come over the mountain tops.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello dear readers of mine! Thanks for the patience on this latest update. My inspiration has once again kicked on in full gear. I hope it's to everyone's liking and you all will read and review Without further ado, I give you Chapter 7! ~ lovesbroadway**

Georg was right; the family made it successfully to and over the border into Switzerland just before nightfall. As the nine of them finally came to rest on the outskirts of the small town where they would settle for the time being, Kurt took the opportunity to catch his breath. He nearly collapsed where they all stood, but forced himself to remain standing. He settled for hunching over, his free hand clutching at his sides that were screaming with pain. The adrenaline from constantly walking all day had allowed him to be pain free for most of the day, but now that they were standing still his entire left side from his wounds began to throb. He gasped for breath as his stomach heaved in and out. Friedrich noticed his brother's stance and went over and stood next to him.

"Deep breaths, Kurt. You've done great all day. We're nearly there."

"Where?" was Kurt's reply as he remained where he was.

Friedrich took his hand off his brother's back and looked to their new surroundings.

"I'm not sure exactly, but it's better than the forest where we spent last night."

Georg looked over as he let Gretl down from his back and stretched. He saw both of his boys talking softly and moved over to check on Kurt.

"Stand straight up, Kurt, and hold your arms - well your good arm - over your head. That's it. Deep breaths. You should feel your breathing coming back to normal in a moment or two."

He stood there watching the rhythm of Kurt's chest return to normal and half-smiled when he saw it steady.

Kurt looked to his father and brother and gave them both a brief nod of his head.

"Thanks," he swallowed hard. "Now where are we headed, father?"

Georg looked around to the rest of his family who had now gathered close to the three Von Trapp men. His daughters hung on their brother's words and his wife grew close, but still stared off down the road leading toward brighter lights.

"Well we're headed toward this town, whatever, that may be and once we all have rested I'll need to talk with your mother on our next move, but I assure all of you that we're safe." Georg made it a point to make eye contact with all seven of his children at this point, "I promise you I'll protect us all from here on out." He placed a comforting hand on Kurt's shoulder.

It was then that Maria finally gazed over at her family and locked eyes with her husband. She gave him a curt nod of her head and again looked back down in the direction of the town they were about to enter.

* * *

After an entire day of walking and being on their feet, the Von Trapp Family was looking forward to sitting inside, laying on a bed of any sort, and resting their eyes in the comfort of an actual building. However, they had to find an inn first and secure a few rooms to enjoy that comfort. When they successfully came to the first inn they were able to see, they received some disheartening news.

"No, sir I'm sorry, but we only have one room left tonight," was the soft, sad reply of the young man behind the counter.

Georg's and Maria's faces fell and the seven children seemed to emit a sad sigh in one joint breath. Maria looked to her husband, about to suggest that they go somewhere else, when he interrupted her train of thought.

"Please, sir, we've been traveling for quite some time as I'm sure you can see and we don't mind crowding into one room. Perhaps some extra blankets would suffice if you will."

The young man behind the counter, took pity on the large family standing before him. He wanted desperately to help them in any way he could, especially with the weather changing to colder as the nights carried on.

"Of course, sir. I think we can accommodate you all," he said with a soft smile.

The seven children cheered openly, and even Kurt gave a little hoot and holler in his condition. Maria breathed a sigh of relief and let her head rest on her husband's arm. Georg smiled over at his children and planted a light kiss on Maria's head.

"Thank you, sir. You have no idea how much my family and I appreciate your kindness."

"Oh, don't thank me just yet, sir. The room, you see, is a bit larger than most we have here. It does have two double beds and a couch that folds out into a bed. What I can do is bring up some extra mattresses we have and some additional blankets and pillows. The room does have its own small bathroom attached, so with nine of you I'm sure you'll welcome that." Again, he smiled at the family and turned the registrar book around so Georg could fill out his info. After he had done that, he retrieved the tightly wrapped pouch where he had kept the money he knew they'd need along their trip in times like these and paid for their room for a few nights, knowing they would all need at least a day or two to recoup before making their next move.

"Splendid," said the man behind the counter again. "Will you all follow me this way please?" He said with another warm smile and motioned for the family to make their way with him down the hall.

They all moved past a room with large glass windows that peered into the restaurant and bar portion of the inn and saw it was packed with patrons. As they moved past it they came to a staircase and climbed to the third floor of the building and stopped at the first door at the top. The door was unlocked and as they all filed into the room they saw it was exactly as it had been described: two beds directly in front of them, a window and window seat next to them, bathroom to the immediate right, and on the left when they walked in a small sitting area with the couch that was to fold out and a small coffee table situated with a reclining chair as well.

"This will do famously, thank you again," Georg said as he handed the young man an additional small stack of money as a thank you for helping them out so much already.

"Not at all, sir. And I'll see that those mattresses and blankets are brought up right away. I'm sure you'll all want to get some rest as soon as possible."

"That would be much appreciated. Thank you."

Maria came to stand by the two men away from the children who were already resting their feet by sitting on the beds.

"I wonder if there's a doctor in town who's available." She motioned carefully toward Kurt who was looking out the window, obviously in pain, hunched over and holding his left side.

"We ran into some trouble along the way here, you see, and our youngest son needs some tending to, right away."

Georg nodded at his wife's sentiment.

"By the looks of it, I'm sure you could as well, frau," and the young man pointed to the wound on Maria's forehead. She absentmindedly reached up and touched her wound where she had been hit the day before, suddenly realizing she, too, had been hurt.

"Yes, well, my head is fine compared to my son."

"Of course, frau. There's a doctor who lives just down the road, actually who's a good patron of this inn. I'll send for him once I'm back downstairs."

"Thank you, again. You've been far too kind."

They all exchanged pleasantries once again and once they were left alone with the door fastened securely, Georg didn't hesitate to rest his forehead against Maria's and plant a loving kiss on her lips. She smiled through the kiss and held his hand tightly and then turned to their seven children.

"All right...who needs to use the bathroom?"

* * *

An hour later they had all gladly taken turns washing up and using the indoor plumbing to its fullest. The additional mattresses were brought up along with the other blankets and pillows and even though it was dinner time, most of the children had fallen asleep willingly just as the stars made their presence known. Even Maria and Georg were half-nestled on top of the covers talking quietly with Liesl and Louisa. Kurt was trying to sit and get comfortable, but found he could only get temporary release by sitting in the reclining chair. Friedrich was sitting on the couch next to him supportively, trying to make small talk in efforts to get his brother's mind off of the pain. A moment later there was a loud knock on the door, the sound waking up the younger three girls who roused quickly, suddenly forgetting where they were.

Maria got up and went over to soothe them as Georg and Friedrich both stood at the sound on the opposite side of the door. The latter of the two got there first and saw the young man from the front desk standing there with an older gentleman.

"Hello again. This is Dr. Schaltz. May we come in?"

"Oh...of course. Please." Friedrich motioned for them to enter and he closed the door after they were all inside.

Maria stood from the mattresses on the floor and went to greet them. The young man from downstairs began the introductions.

"Dr. Schaltz, this if frau..."

"Maria. Just Maria, please, doctor."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Maria. I understand there are a few of you who need a quick check up."

"That's right. Our son, Kurt, needs to be looked at first please." She lead them toward the chair to Kurt, who was still in obvious pain, sweating as he sat, still trying to get comfortable.

The doctor sat down on the coffee table opposite Kurt and put his medical bag down next to him.

"Hello, Kurt. My name is Dr. Schaltz. I'm going to need to take a look under your shirt."

Kurt apprehensively looked from the doctor to his parents, to his older brother.

"It's ok, Kurt. He's not going to hurt you," was Friedrich's comforting reply from near the door. Kurt nodded at his brother then turned back to the doctor.

"Pleasure to meet you, herr doctor," was Kurt's short reply and slowly moved to remove his makeshift sling from his father's torn up shirt and then went to take off his shirt. When it was clear he was going to need help, Georg walked over and carefully helped his son take off his shirt, revealing the purplish wound all across his left shoulder and chest area. Doctor Schaltz rolled up his sleeves and put on his glasses as he went to work to remove the bandages and gauze patches that had been applied.

"Good, lord, what happened here?!" Dr. Schaltz's exasperated remark caused Georg and Maria to jump slightly as they were both leaning intently near their son, waiting for the doctor's diagnosis.

"We encountered some unruly gentlemen earlier today in the Alps and...well, let's just say this is the end result," was Georg's carefully worded response.

Dr. Schaltz nodded back in reply and started to examine Kurt.

"Now, son, I won't lie, this is going to be terribly painful, but I promise you I'll be as quick and gentle as I can," he smiled back at the terrified looking boy in front of him and went to work.

The doctor procured several stacks of bandages from his bag, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a couple of syringes, some ointment, and medical tape, all that were to be used in mending the battered boy in front of him. His quick, yet efficient movements caused Kurt to cry out involuntarily in pain every so often, and his three younger sisters sat huddled together on one of the mattresses on the floor watching in horror as their older brother was tended to. His older sisters sat at the edge of the bed behind him, hands clasped together, unsure if the other was even breathing in anticipation of the doctor's final movements. When it seemed like he had done all that he could, Dr. Schaltz wiped his hands on a towel from his bag and then turned back to face Kurt.

"Ok, Kurt, this is the part that's going to be the most uncomfortable. You're going to have to remain still and trust me on this."

Kurt looked over at his parents once more, and seeing them both nod back at him, he closed his eyes and waited for what the doctor was about to do. When Maria saw that he had filled the syringes in front of him and was about to apply them into her son's chest, she buried her face in her husband's shirt and gripped him for dear life. Georg winced, knowing what his son was about to experience and squeezed Maria's hands in return.

Dr. Schaltz applied the first shot straight into Kurt's chest just around the area where the bullets had hit him, injecting him with a heavy dosage of antibiotics. Kurt gritted his teeth the entire time and only breathed outward when the needle had successfully been removed from his chest. Dr. Schaltz then moved fast to insert the second needle in Kurt's arm as he breathed a sigh of relief himself.

"That one's just a strong dosage of morphine, son. That will help calm you down and knock you out till tomorrow so you can get some rest and relax without worrying about the pain," he said calmly as Kurt's eyes started to get heavy, the effects of the drug already taking its toll on him. After a minute or two, it was evident that Kurt had fallen into a deep sleep, so Maria, after having the courage to look up again, walked over and moved to remove his shoes and placed the chair into a full reclining position so her son would be able to sleep soundly. Liesl then got up and covered her brother with a blanket and smoothed some hair away from his face.

"Thank you, doctor. You have no idea how hard we all fought to help him the past day or so," Maria whispered with tears in her eyes at the gentle looking man in front of her.

"It's my pleasure, Maria," he whispered in return without looking up from his medical bag. "Now I do believe it's your turn to be examined." He stood up in one motion and braced himself against Maria and went to clean the cut at her forehead. He applied some antibacterial ointment to her wound and then closed up his bag, proud of the work he had done.

"Now, out of the remaining seven of you, is there anyone else who needs tending to?"

Georg looked over at the girls and Friedrich, all of whom, sleepily shook their heads.

"I think everyone else is fine for the moment, doctor, but thank you for coming to help us out on such short notice," Georg said gratefully as he shook the man's hand.

"Not a problem, sir...I'm sorry I don't believe I caught your name on the way in."

"It's Georg, doctor."

"Well, Georg, please take care of your lovely family. And whatever direction you move toward from here, I hope it's a safe one. Here is some medication you can keep in case Kurt wakes in the middle of the night needing something for the pain."

"Thank you, doctor," and the two men shook hands vigorously once more.

"Is my brother going to be ok, herr doctor?"

All three adults turned toward the small voice they had just heard from by the door. Friedrich looked on, his arms crossed tightly over his chest and staring straight at Kurt. Nobody had seen him cower when the needles were plunged into his eleven-year-old brother's chest, but Friedrich had been terrified watching the doctor at work.

"Yes, my boy. Your brother is going to be just fine. He's going to need a lot of rest over the next few days, but you all did a magnificent job helping him thus far. Don't lose hope," Dr. Schaltz said with a gentle pat on Friedrich's shoulder, who in turn gave him a grateful nod.

Georg went over to silently discuss the terms of payment as Maria crossed the room and embraced her oldest son who returned the hug willingly. As they did so, the doctor and the man from the inn bid the family good night and Georg fastened the door in its lock once more and looked over at this family again for the second time that day. The girls nestled back under the covers, Liesl and Louisa following suit climbing into the double bed next to their parents, but not before each planting a loving sisterly kiss on Kurt's forehead. Friedrich took the couch next to his brother and Maria and Georg moved on to bid good night to all of the girls after saying good night to Friedrich.

"Sleep well, Kurt," was his reply, as he finally laid down for the first time that day, taking watch over his family as they all drifted off to sleep.


End file.
